It was a nice try, but state officials just didn't buy the Golden State Warriors' pitch that their proposed $1 billion waterfront arena plan had the legally required maritime connection - a kayak ramp.

The State Lands Commission had something a little more substantial in mind - like, say, a berth big enough to park an aircraft carrier.

And that's why - after a couple of meetings and a push from the politically powerful International Longshore and Warehouse Union - the team went back to the drawing board and agreed to push its 17,000-seat arena 50 feet back from the water at Piers 30-32.

Besides providing space for a backup cruise-ship berth, the extra breathing room could accommodate a dock for the Navy to use during Fleet Week.

"That's pretty much it," said Jesse Blout, a development consultant working on the arena deal for the Warriors.

As for the kayak ramp, it stays.

The nominal linkage to the water is a key hurdle for the arena deal to clear. The Giants secured their permit for AT&T Park by providing for ferry service to the ballpark and touting the spectacular bay views from the stands.

The Warriors' change isn't likely to satisfy neighbors worried about the arena blocking views and adding to congestion. But spending an extra $8 million to $11 million for a big ship berth may be enough to win the state commission's approval - especially if the longshore union is on board.

Making waves: San Francisco water officials, the East Bay Municipal Utility District and four other water agencies are questioning Gov. Jerry Brown's plan to build a pair of massive tunnels in the delta to send water south.

Brown pitched the two 35-mile tunnels - along with the high-speed rail line - as his biggest infrastructure goals during his State of the State speech last month. The tunnels would divert water from the Sacramento River around the delta and south at a cost of between $14 billion and $18 billion.

But in a Jan. 16 letter to outgoing U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazarand state Natural Resources Agency Secretary John Laird, executives of the six water agencies said the project carried "unquantified risks," from its cost and environmental impacts to the possibility of years of litigation.

The letter from EBMUD, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission and water agencies in Alameda, Contra Costa and San Diego counties - along with San Diego Mayor Bob Filner- was nearly identical to missives from environmental groups opposed to the mega-project.

"At the end of the day, everyone is supportive of a sustainable bay-delta solution," said Tyrone Jue, a spokesman for the San Francisco agency, which runs the Hetch Hetchy water system. "The trick has always been balancing water-supply costs and environmental interests."

Natural Resources Agency spokesman Richard Staplersaid the letter seemed to "be a little political" - and predicted it would be a topic when his boss meets with San Francisco water officials this week.

"Secretary Laird is not always known for holding his tongue," he said.

Rambo meets Marin: To the surprise of many Marinites, the Sheriff's Department has just been given the nod to buy a $368,000, armor-plated assault vehicle - to be used by its newly created Weapons of Mass Destruction Unit.

Money for the unit and the BearCat G3 van - which will be shared by Marin, Sonoma, Napa and Solano counties - comes from homeland security grants. The idea is to help law enforcement handle "chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive" situations, according to a sheriff's memo.

This in mellow Marin, where county Supervisor Steve Kinsey concedes that "the biggest thing we have is protests over dog walkers."

"It's humorous on one level and expensive on another, but ultimately it's about public safety," Kinsey said.

Sheriff's Lt. Barry Heyingtells us he doesn't think Marin is on any terrorist hit list.

"But we are pretty sure that the Golden Gate Bridge would be a tempting target," he said, "and we want to be prepared."